Puerto Rico: Isla del Encanto

Well hello there. How's everyone's summer been coming along? If it has been anything like mine, it's been HOT HOT HOT! You step outside for five minutes and you're melting into a puddle on the pavement. And the sun; the sun is very different this year. I swear it's not the same sun as when we were growing up. I  spent most of my youthful days outside in the sun and I never felt it as intensely as I do now. It's almost as if the sun is radioactive. I feel like it burns me from the inside out. I am no fan of extreme temperatures. If it's too cold my body literally aches, and if it's too hot my body swells. It's the weirdest thing ever. I guess that's what happens when you age. But, I digress. Moving right along.

As you can tell from the title of this blog, I will be sharing about my time in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico is a place that Karina and I visit quite frequently because Karina's entire family lives on the island. We make it a point to get over there at least once a year. Our last visit to the island was Christmas of 2016. In September 2017 Hurricane Maria came through the island with massive winds and water almost leaving it completely inhabitable. It is now August of 2018 and we are finally getting a chance to visit the island post-Maria. We weren't too sure what to expect when we got there, all we knew was that the southern part of the island where Karina's parents live was doing just fine. Still, we were anxious about what to expect.

We arrive in San Juan on a Monday afternoon.  We gather our luggage and proceed to walk outside where Karina's mom, dad, and nephew greeted us with a warm welcome full of hugs and kisses. The air was not as thick as I was expecting it to be when we exited the airport doors. Usually, there is a certain thickness that hangs in the air in Puerto Rico. The humidity can be described as stifling or even suffocating. But this time it was different, I could breathe quite nicely. It was almost as if I hadn't touched down on a tropical island at all. The temperature was a warm but mild 83/84 degrees. It was wonderful. We head to the car and load up our luggage and off we go.

Every time we arrive on the island and Karina's dad picks us up form the airport, we stop at a little local restaurant in the town of Guavate to eat the obligatory meal of lechon y arroz con gandules. That would be roasted pork form a whole pig that has been cooked on the open fire served with rice. Pretty tasty. I tried to take pictures of this meal but we were starving and all rationale left our minds once the food was in front of us for devouring. With our bellies full, we drive about an hour south onward to Karina's parents house. When we arrive, we settle in for the evening and prepare for tomorrows beach day. Almost every day was a beach day during this trip. We currently live in the landlocked state of Kentucky so we took full advantage of the ocean each day we were there.

Now, I know you guys are probably wanting to know what the island is like post-Maria. I won't be able to address this in great lengths only because the purpose for our visit was to visit family and  to relax. However, something to understand here is that the island of Puerto Rico had a long-standing struggling economy before the hurricane hit, so when Maria came through, it completely crippled the island. Recovery has been very slow and minimal as a whole for the island. There are limited resources for food and in some parts of the island people still do not have access to electricity and water. Mobile phone service and internet is touch and go throughout the entire island leaving some places as "dead zones". You can expect for inflation to be at an all-time high and wait times in restaurants to be extremely long depending on what part of the Island you are in. An example of how bad the inflation is on the island; we paid $20 for a regular bottle of lotion at Walmart. We thought that maybe we had picked up the wrong bottle, but no, that was the price. Also, what stands out the most is the blue tarps that you see throughout the island that FEMA has placed on people's houses that didn't have roof's after the storm. And the tree's that were once full, lush, and green have been stripped bare of their palms and are now brown. However, that being said, the people of Puerto Rico are resilient and are hopeful of fully recovering in the near future.

One of the houses in the Mountains of Vialba. Completely ruined with the roof completely destroyed.

If you have a close look, you can see the trees that have been striped of their green foliage. All of the brown tree stalks shown in this photo were once full of green lush tropical leaves. 

A view looking down on La Perla. One roof with a blue tarp that FEMA placed and several other buildings with no roofs at all. 

The northern part of the island was surprisingly more intact than the southern part even thought they got hit the hardest. Karina explained that the people in the north part of island were better prepared for the storm than the people in the south because the north always gets hit head on when ever a storm comes through. But, because this was a monster of a storm, even the southern parts of the island got hit hard. Almost everyone was unprepared for what was headed towards them.

Now that we have covered a little of the aftermath of Maria, we can move on to clearer waters. We were on the island a total of 9 days and we wanted to maximize our beach time to the fullest. I don't think we spent one day out of the water. We did occasionally surface for food and sleep, but the beaches would call us right back. The beaches were in pristine condition guys. It was actually the best conditions I've ever seen them in. If I close my eyes I can still see the clear blue Caribbean water. So, if you're thinking about visiting the island, I recommend it. Just keep in mind everything that I mentioned above. I'd go back for the water alone!

Coastal view of Crashboat Beach

We've been here to this particular beach in the past and this time the waters were the clearest we've ever seem them.

My second attempt to jump off the dock into the deep waters of the ocean.

 I couldn't climb this make shift ladder to get out the water to save my life, I had to swim back to the shore. Karinas nephew tried holding the rope, but it was hopeless :)

The sea was nice and calm. Great for floating around and relaxing.

Tropical view of Crashboat beach.

As the sun was setting on this day we decided to head to Rincon, the next town over and catch the sunset from the cliff where the light house sits. 

Welcome to the seaside town of Rincon.

The beautiful Flamboyan Tree. You will see tons of trees like this through out the island. The leaves are always a bright Caribbean color.

Borinquen is also another name for Puerto Rico, derived from the indigenous Taíno Indians that use to live on the island.

A nice view looking up from the Flamboyan tree.

El Faro lighthouse in Rincon. 

A seaside bar that sits off the cliff along the shores of Rincon 

Sea view

Solitude

Our next adventure was half land and half water. We hiked to Cueva Ventana during the first part of the day and then trekked up steep and rocky cliffs to Cueva de Indio. 

Cueva Ventana means "window cave" in English. The cave sits on top of a limestone cliff in the mountains of Arecibo, Puerto Rico. We decided to do a tour with local biologist that spoke to us about the nature of the cave, the importance of the insect and bat population, and life for the indigenous people that use to live inside of these caves. I was quite surprised to learn that cockroaches play a huge role in keeping the caves clean. I remember the guide telling us that if the cockroaches weren't there to eat a certain substance (juano, which is bat poop) in the caves, humans wouldn't be able to go in there and breathe with out getting lung disease. The tour was amazing. I highly recommend it. Most people go just for the view, but I thoroughly enjoyed learning about everything the guide spoke about. Also, one quick note. The biologist that lead our group mentioned that before Hurricane Maria, there were a number of thousands of bats that occupied the cave and the lush surrounding of the cave. Now there are only a total of 15 bats living in that region. Because of the loss of the bats, fruits and other things have taken a loss on the island. It was quite interesting to learn all of that. See, people, we need our bats and we need our cockroaches. I had always just assumed cockroaches were sent to us as a wretched curse. Nope, we actually need them.

I felt like Dora the Explorer hiking through the lush tropical mountains. 

At this point I wasn't sure what to expect because we were approaching a really dark and damp cave that looked like a scene from Alien.

My face says it all. I was freaking out just a bit. 

How creepy are these images! We are now entering the first entrance to the first cave.

The inside of a smaller cave that leads you to the bigger cave of Cueva Ventana.

Indigenous carvings.

I may or may not have panicked going inside the main cave. It was a super steep trek down into the pitch black cave. Every other person was given a flash light and we were told to under no circumstances, point the flashlight up towards the ceiling. We were to keep the flashlight pointed at the ground at all times. I was such a chicken that I had to hold the actual guides hand. I felt like I would be safer with him since he does this day and day out.

If you are claustrophobic and cant deal with very small spaces and have a hard time breathing, this tour is not for you. The guide whose hand I was holding, he probably lost all circulation. I was completely freaked out on the inside. I didn't want to act scared in from of all the people in my group, but there was no going back at this point. I had to keep going forward.

Literally the light at the end of the tunnel. WOW! What an amazing view. Totally worth it! My pictures do this view no justice. The cave is overlooking the Rio Grande of Arecibo. There was a nice cross winds breeze flowing through. 

By the time we get done with this tour we still had plenty of time left in our day for another adventure. We head to Cueva del Indio, which means "Cave of the Indians", is also in Arecibo. It is said to have the largest numbers of petroglyphs in that region of the island. Cueva del Indio is also a prehistoric rock site with spikes rock formations that lead to the top cliffs, which are known best for the views of the ocean. I highly suggest wearing a good solid sneaker while attempting to climb this spikey rock formation. You will cut your feet and twist your ankles if you're not wearing proper foot attire. It is also worth noting that parking around this area is sketchy. There is a man who claims the land is private property and he charges five dollars per person. Not per car, per person. A complete rip in opinion. When I asked him who the property belonged to he couldn't answer me. I also asked who he was affiliated with and he also couldn't answer that question. So beware. There really isn't many places to park so you may have to bite the bullet on this one. Just giving a heads up.

BEAUTIFUL

Very dangerous getting down here. I didn't allow Karina's nephews to come down this far. I actually meet a  local diver that crawled out of one of the openings of these rocks. They were cliff jumping into the waters below. Very dangerous.

Spicy rock formation overlooking the aquamarine blue waters. At times the waves can crash as far as the tops of these cliffs.

Admiring the beauty of this place. Sometimes you have to stop and just take it in for a while. It absolutley beautuful.

We wake up incredibly early the next morning and head out on our next adventure. We travel from the city of Ponce to Fajardo. The drive is approximately two hours. We stop at our favorite café in the area. It's a hidden gem called Dulce Aroma. They have the best coffee on the entire island. The owner is always very polite and makes sure that his customers are very well taken care of. Dulce Aroma gives me a cozy welcoming family vibe. Each day that we stoped in, there were plenty of familiar faces inside chatting over caffe con pan ( coffee with bread). You can get the some of the islands best coffee and breakfast here for under ten dollars. We love this place. We look forward to coming every time we visit the island.  

A hidden gem on the island. I was so happy to see that they didn't suffer terrible damage from the hurricane. 

A beautiful sight to behold. 

Karina looks like she's in love with that sweet Tres Leché's cupcake. 

The space is very small but very welcoming. I wouldn't change anything about it.

After finishing up our beautiful breakfast, our next journey while visiting the island was hands down the best thing we did during the entire trip. We decided to take a charterd boat ride off the island to go to Culebra. We used SS Tobias Snorkel and Boat Tours. They are the best in all of Puerto Rico. Their boats are inspected by the Coast Guard and the crew is outstanding. They provide all snorkel gear, luch, drinks, and snacks.  They are very attentive to their guest and take care of everything for you. It was an outstanding time from the time we took off to the time we docked coming back. I would highly recommend all of your boating excursions through them. We actually used them twice while visiting the island, once to go to Culebra and then another time to go to Icacos. This is my own opinion of this company. I am not being paid or sponsored by them.  

Sailing out. We all had on so much sunscreen. The sun rays were vicious. We weren't taking any chances with our precious skin.

Pulling into Flamenco Beach on the island of Culebra. 

Snorkeling in these waters was amazing. Wishing I had a go pro to capture all go the sea life we saw.

Im pretty sure this is what Paradise is.

What would I give to be out in these waters again.

Why would Ariel from The Little Mermaid ever want to be human. I'd take the mermaid life any day.

Snacks for the entire boat after a long day of snorkeling, diving, and swimming. The Rum Punch and Piña Colada's flowed freely.

One of the two tanks that US Navy left left behind years ago.

Karina's Nephew standing by one of the tanks.

Getting ready to head back. What an incredible day that I will never forget.

Pano shot of Flamenco Beach, Culebra.

We never wanted that day to end. It was beautiful being on the water in that capacity. Especially out in the deep where we could jump off the stern. It was invigorating and made me feel like I was alive. But sadly, all good things must come to an end. We drive back to the city of Ponce that evening with the memories of that day fresh in our minds. As I drifted off to sleep that night, I could still feel the lull of the waves taking over my body from being in the ocean. Best sleep I've had in a long time.

As our time is winding down on the island we visit some of Karina's family in the mountains and go to the local plaza in town. We have about two more beach days before it's time to pack it all up and head back to Fort Knox. I try to stay in the present and enjoy every second of my time in Puerto Rico. 

A view form Karina's aunt and uncle's house overlooking the city of Juana Diaz.

Beautiful mountains

I meet a baby Husky girl named Amayah. She was quite the little stinker.

A view driving through the mountainside of Vialba.

Below you can see artwork from local artist displayed on the walls of Plaza del Caribe in the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico. The walls were filled with big murals of the art through out the entire plaza.

I could have staired at this piece all day. 

Beautifull

Time is steadily winding down on the island, we head up to San Juan and hit up Isla Verdé beach for one last beach day and explore Castillo San Felipe del Morro, which is also called El Morro.

While most of the island was still fast asleep, I was up watching the sunrise over Isla Verde and thanking God for his beautiful creation.

Karina and her nephews made this amazing creation of a sand sculptured sea turtle.

I could get used to this!

We run into La Perla as we walk up the hill to get to El Morro. La Perla is a community that sits right on the wall of the shore of San Juan. 

Sights of the La Perla community.

Some of the most sought out land on the island, many investors have come to Puerto Rico to buy out the land but it is considered a high crime area. There are only three ways to get in and out of La Perla. It has been said that if you have trouble while in La Perla, the police will not come and help you.

Santa María de Pazzis Cemetary. Located right along the walls of San Filipe del Morro fortress.

We finally reach El Morro. The old fortress was built between 1539-40 and served as defense against sea attackers.

A beautiful view from the El Morro and San Cristobal forts.

Such a beautiful area to explore with a lot of rich history. You could spend hours at this place and learn so much. 

On  the weekend's you will find local families here with their children flying kites in the air if a good sea breeze comes in. A beautiful way to pass the day away.

Puerto Rico, you have been a real gem this time around. Anyone who knows me knows that I have a real love-hate relationship with this island. There are things about this island that drive me absolutley crazy, but there's also the the wonderful aspects that keep me coming back every time. It is with great hope that the island of Puerto Rico can truly 100% recover from the remnants of what Maria left behind. The island has so much offer and can truly be enchanting. Until we meet again, Puerto Rico. 

Guys, I truly hope that you enjoyed having a glimpse of my family vacation. As always it was my absolute pleasure sharing with all of you. I hope you all enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed sharing. Until next time, stay cool and God bless!